Long Island teens are keeping it reel with high school fishing clubs

St. Anthony’s High School senior Adelina Hughes could barely contain her excitement recounting a recent fishing trip aboard the Capt. James Joseph II, which sails out of Huntington Harbor. She and fellow members of the school’s fishing club departed the dock at 4 p.m. and spent the next four hours with their fishing rods doubled over catching porgies. Also known as scup, the aggressive feeding, silver-sided fish put up a good fight for their size, taste delicious and can be counted on to put a few fillets in everyone’s coolers most days.

“Oh, my goodness, did we hit it big. The whole afternoon was just so much fun,” said Hughes, 17. “The action was nonstop. All of my friends were laughing and having fun. I can’t wait to go again.”

Hughes is part of a growing number of Long Island students taking part in high school fishing clubs, most established in direct response to student demand. On an island surrounded by saltwater and dotted with freshwater rivers, lakes and ponds, one might think such groups would be common, but that hasn’t historically been the case. Over the past decade, however, the number of high schools with clubs has grown to 14 active groups, some with almost 100 members.

At St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, English teacher Denise Creighton co-moderates the Friar’s Fishing Club with colleague Frank Vilbig. She said the club started in 2016 when her nephews, Bob and John Creighton, and their friend Chris Beirne were attending the school.

“All three knew I enjoyed fishing so they asked if I would start a club,” said Creighton, 63, of Kings Park. “I didn’t think it would get much of a response, but we started with about 20 students and in recent years have averaged 50. On this last trip, about 60 club members attended.”

Creighton believes the club presents an opportunity for members to get away from some of the trappings of the modern world. “It gets students off their electronic devices,” she said. “You don’t see the phones come out on these trips — except to take pictures — because the kids want to be outside enjoying themselves and taking a break from everything that is distressing.”

Creighton also noted her club has become so popular that other groups within the school sometimes ask if they can join the trips. “We’ve had our Friar’s Celtic Pipe and Drum Band and our exchange students accompany us on some trips,” she said. “I think that shows kids just love to fish.”

No two clubs are alike

Talk to high school fishing club advisers across Long Island, and you’ll find no two clubs are exactly alike. Some, like at Ward Melville High School, have a full schedule with weekly or monthly meetings, casting practices, hands-on learning activities and several fishing trips each year. Others, like St. Anthony’s, focus mostly on the trips. In most clubs, student input strongly shapes the itinerary, with some allowing the students to do much of the planning, lead meetings and plan events. Others have more hands-on involvement by advisers and moderators. But whether student-led or adviser-driven, each club shares common goals: offering an introduction to or reinforcing the basics of fishing, providing access to the sport and creating an opportunity to catch the fishing bug.

Respecting nature, practicing conservation, being ethical anglers, understanding fishing rules and regulations, sharing knowledge and being a welcoming member of the Long Island fishing community are among the common themes of all the clubs, according to advisers.

The largest student fishing organization on Long Island is the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club in East Setauket. Social studies teacher Bob Wilson, 46, of Miller Place, founded it 16 years ago with colleague Bill Lapp, holding informal meetings and hosting an annual fishing trip.

“Eight students turned out for our initial meeting,” Wilson recalled. “At our first meeting this September, we had 96.”

In 2013, the club began hosting the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club Expo and Fundraiser, an annual event to support its activities and raise more than $9,000 for senior scholarships. The first event drew 10 vendors. Today, it’s Long Island’s largest fishing expo, with more than 200 vendors, 330 tables and club members doing much of the heavy lifting. The club’s next expo, scheduled for March 7 and 8, will mark its 14th year.

For Wilson, the Ward Melville fishing club offers kids an opportunity to develop a lifelong skill set and passion. “Not to take away anything from sports — I used to coach — but you can only do some activities for so long, whereas fishing you might be able to enjoy forever,” he said.

Wilson said it also can unite kids from all different walks of life.

“Every year, I get to see different kinds of kids blossom,” he said. “Sometimes it’s someone who’s just a little bit socially awkward that becomes more outgoing. Other times, it’s an athlete who is now learning leadership skills and teaching some of our less experienced anglers the skills he or she has acquired through past experience and fishing with the club.”

Learning opportunity for all

At Riverhead High School, which started its fishing club in fall 2023, social studies teacher and fishing club moderator Garrett Moore said he has been surprised by how many of his students have never explored their hometown waters.

“I talk about the Peconic River, and some kids can’t even relate because they’ve never been on the river — it’s right down the block!’ ” he said. “Due to a lack of resources and their parents working so much just to make ends meet, not everyone has the luxury of getting out and enjoying the great outdoors. . . . To show them outdoor experiences through the fishing club is a fantastic opportunity that broadens their horizons.”

Moore, 46, of Riverhead, teaches students how to tie knots, bait hooks and to find and successfully fight the fish they hook. He also wants students to be stewards of the environment. “Be aware of the conservation aspects; pick up more than you leave behind,” he advises club members.

Riverhead High School sophomore Cora D’Alsace, who said she grew up fishing with her parents, was excited to discover her school had started a fishing club.

“I just love going, I love the water and I love sharing fishing opportunities with others,” she said. “Stripers are my favorite target, but I like tautog, porgies and fluke too. Learning about all the reels and lures is one of the best parts of being in the club. It’s amazing we get to do all this through our school. The captains are great, our adviser is incredible and the friendships are the best.”

At John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, science research teacher Barbi Frank, 51, said the idea for a fishing club came from her son, Maxwell Frank, now 19 and a student at Binghamton University. “He had gone to the principal asking for a club in his freshman and sophomore years before getting his wish and becoming club president as a junior,” said Barbi Frank, who has been the club’s adviser for two years. The club now has about 55 members.

Frank digs into her role as a biology teacher during outings, discussing the fish themselves, not just the fishing. She said representatives of the state Department of Environmental Conservation have delivered lessons, including a dogfish dissection.

Next generation of anglers, conservationists

According to Frank, the No. 1 thing students get from being club members is an introduction to the local fishing community. She also likes that the kids in this club spend so much time learning from one another.

“There is a tremendous amount of knowledge being passed among our kids, and they prepare their own lessons to share at our meetings,” she said.

Whether club members are in the classroom or on the water, their mentors said they are trying to instill strong values and ethics in the young piscatores: respect for fish, love of the great outdoors, the need for conservation, the importance of following fishing regulations and an appreciation for the fishing community.

The effort seems to be making an impact on the next generation of anglers.

“I’m a junior now and I joined the club as a freshman with no knowledge of fishing,” said Luca Kaplan, president of the JFK fishing club. “I’ve learned so much, gotten good at fishing and became passionate about the sport. Now I feel it’s my job to make sure the new freshmen and sophomores discover the same passion that I have. I also want them to realize that one universal skill all anglers need for success is confidence.”

Kaplan’s advice to new members? Don’t get discouraged. “Just get outside and enjoy your trip,” he said.

As for Hughes, heading out with friends and a chance to catch big fish and take some home is the perfect trip. “I think learning to have patience as you wait for the fish to bite is a big key for beginners,” she advised, “but don’t take the catching aspect too seriously. If you reel in a fish that’s too small, have a laugh, toss it back and don’t get discouraged. Keep at it, count on your club members for help and eventually you’ll get rewarded with some big ones.”